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Dragoons
The Dragoons are elite men and woman who have braved the infamous 'Drake Trials' and were able to create a deep bond with their chosen rune drake like no other, while also living to tell the tale. There are many humans across the realm that travel to Alabaster city for just this occasion and to participate in the annual trials held there, however, only a select few actually survive the ordeal and come out as one of the fabled Dragoon Knights of Alabaster. Such a profession is dreamt of by many, which is why so many glory seekers flock to the Northern Kingdom in hopes of power, prestige, and a chance at a better life as one of the elite riders that fly freely across the four human kingdoms. '''The Drake Trials '''are open to all, no matter one's rank or standing. This is a rule that all Dragoons have held to heart since their inception centuries ago. Those who join their small, skilled group can be either paupers or kings, thieves or aristocrats, men or women. To the Dragoons, your previous life matters very little since the drake you will have to confront in the trials cares not if you are a royal or a peasant. To them, you are simply what you make yourself out to be right then and there. The Dragoons teach that a rune drake will never cast its flames upon you in battle if you stand your ground; only those who cower and run are met with disgrace and fire. However, those who present themselves as a worthy adversary and stand their ground are graced with the chance to fight with honor -- an offer the drake gives out of courtesy to their opponent's foolhardy bravery, which could still ultimately end in death. In the end, however, if you are victorious in the trial, you have the chance to bond with one of the most fearsome and respected creature in all the realm. All Dragoon Knights of Alabaster state proudly that they would never trade such an experience for all the baubles in the land. Such a bond is treasured by these individuals. Each knight can never fully explain the sensation of freedom they felt the first time they and their drake took flight as one... Though such a momentous occasion brings many spectators in to the white city from all corners of Eldemore, it is also a time where many great, up and coming young men and women lose their lives, that is, if the beast decides you are an unworthy rider. To take the chance and plunge into the Drake's den can offer an individual a chance at a bond that is envied by everyone, but trying to earn the wings of a drake can also lead to the participant being severely mauled or sometimes never seen again. It is a risk that many young souls take, and one that must be respected and weighed with great thought before committing to. Those who do choose to endure this trial are at least hailed in a grand spectacle beforehand dubbed the 'Ceremony of Fire', which is a joy-filled event that takes place the night before, but is also a funeral which is meant to prepare and cleanse the living in case they do not make it in the end. This is a time that Alabaster is quite well-known for, and when the city itself is bathed in blue flames to commemorate the trials. However, despite the prospect of losing everything, the trials always turn out a few brave and extremely lucky individuals each year that end up joining the ranks of Alabaster's Dragoons, and who also earn the right to fly freely in the skies with their bonded rune drake. It is a position that holds more than just glory and becoming a knight of Alabaster, but of a union between two creatures that the rest of the realm believes to be too chaotic or untamed -- it is a proclamation of the human race as a whole, a declaration that clearly states that both mankind and drake can defy any odds despite the trials which are placed before them, and to become one of the fabled Dragoons, which is the living, breathing image of such deeply held beliefs that all humans aspire to be.